Impressed with cycle parking

[downfader]

Bursledon road, southampton - The Range and KFC (spew)...

..went down there to go into the art supplies section of the Range and see what they had (needed a new drawing pad). Only a 15 minute walk from my home and the smell of the KFC aside (which makes me feel sick) I noticed some 50 cycle stands.

They're sheffields, only wide enough to get one bike in so theres no issue of jamming cables and such, and they're the slightly shorter version so theres no need to reach around or squeeze through bikes.

Shame more new complexes dont take the time to plan for cycle parking like that.

 

[thegrumpybiker]

I met my Mum and sister at Carnaby Street before xmas for lunch, rode there from Finsbury Park where I live. Bike railings, what a joke! there's a couple of them just next to Liberty's and that seems to be it. Of course there's about 3 or 4 on each one so you can't get to it. To add insult to injury every other bit of fence/railing has those "Cycles locked here will be removed" signs. Come on Boris, you talk the talk, start walking the walk.
Still, glad to see some places make the effort.

 

[automatic_jon]

The retail park in Portsmouth, Ocean park I think it's called, where Halfords, PC world et al are situated is a cycle parking desert. They seem even to have gone to the lengths of choosing posts deliberately too wide/short to chain anything to securely. It's a shame, I would actually spend more money there if it wasn't such hard work to park once I'd ridden over the railway bridge, the two things together make amazon look that bit more appealing.

 

[marinyork]

New development?

I was moderately pleased when a development I went to last year moved 25 stands to somewhere more sensible and marginally less inviting of thieves. Unfortunately once these things are built there's little chance of them changing their behaviour. Really new developments should be getting a small quantity of covered stands as well as sheffields on their own.

 

[Norm]

The retail park in Portsmouth, Ocean park I think it's called, where Halfords, PC world et al are situated is a cycle parking desert.

IIRC, Gunwharf Quays is the opposite, with what appeared to be very decent cycle and motorcycle facilities within the car parks.

 

[downfader]

New development?

I was moderately pleased when a development I went to last year moved 25 stands to somewhere more sensible and marginally less inviting of thieves. Unfortunately once these things are built there's little chance of them changing their behaviour. Really new developments should be getting a small quantity of covered stands as well as sheffields on their own.

Yep 2009 it opened. Stands arent covered sadly, which is the only downside I can see. It is 1:1 with the car parking though. Which was a shock!

 

[automatic_jon]

IIRC, Gunwharf Quays is the opposite, with what appeared to be very decent cycle and motorcycle facilities within the car parks.

Yeah, Gunwharf is great for cycle parking, well within the precinct, patrolled by security. It's right next to the coach station too, the only place I'd lave my bike overnight in the whole city (apart from under my stairs obviously).

 

[Norm]

Phew!

I'm glad my thoughts have been confirmed as I haven't taken a bike there myself, but I remember being impressed with the way they looked when I last went on the motorbike.

 

[summerdays]

Its definitely been one of the benefits of Cycle City is seeing bike stands pop up around the city, some times single ones, other times groups. However there are still places without stands.

 

[brilliantndrew]

Great new covered bike racks in Woking town centre next - adjacent to the Peacocks shopping centre (the entrance at the town square / Barclays bank end)

 

[661-Pete]

I really must take, and post, some piccies of our local H***ords, complete with its - er - 'facility', which consists of a plain brick wall without so much as a metal ring. Been like that for years, and the crowning insult is, there is a sign there saying 'Cycle Parking' or something.

But sheffields are good. I personally prefer them wider-spaced so you can easily put bikes on both sides, but they must be at least 1 metre apart so you can do that comfortably. We have several in our local shopping centre - sufficient on most days. The only problem with those is, some of them are not properly cemented into the ground and wobble precariously. A strong person could possibly wrench one out, unthread the bike and make off with it.

 

[marinyork]

But sheffields are good. I personally prefer them wider-spaced so you can easily put bikes on both sides, but they must be at least 1 metre apart so you can do that comfortably. We have several in our local shopping centre - sufficient on most days. The only problem with those is, some of them are not properly cemented into the ground and wobble precariously. A strong person could possibly wrench one out, unthread the bike and make off with it.

Tescos, the worst supermarket for cycle parking love doing this. They deliberately poorly bolt down or don't bolt down at all the stands and then a few weeks later a naughty person from the store breaches the agreement and moves them .

 

[661-Pete]

Yes I know 99% of Tesco's executives have little horns and cloven hoofs, but really I must leap to the defence of my local out-of-town branch, which has really done well for cyclists. The exception that proves the rule, maybe. Anyway we have a row of Sheffields outside the store - only six of them but, honestly, so few people cycle-shop at Tesco's that six is enough! They are lower than the standard Sheffield stand but adequate to lock a bike to. They are under shelter so I can set off, panniers loaded up, on a dry saddle. They are only a short walk from the entrance, and near a trolley park, so I can wheel the panniers back to the bike on the trolley, then push the trolley over to the park.

My only, occasional, gripe is that sometimes I find a dog tied to the Sheffields. But I can't blame Tesco's for that!

 

[Norm]

Yes I know 99% of Tesco's executives have little horns and cloven hoofs...

Don't forget they all drive BMW 4x4s as well.

Although there's two sets of stands at my local Tescos, one of which is under cover.

 

[marinyork]

Don't forget they all drive BMW 4x4s as well.

Although there's two sets of stands at my local Tescos, one of which is under cover.

When something is said to be bad, it is based on a reasonable number. I've compared over a eighty tescos branches to other supermarkets and Tescos is most definitely not up to scratch, if you include brand spanking new stores they come off even worse. I'm aware that the average includes some of the x6 trapeziums that the occasionally put in properly at new stores but for every one of them there are places where they get up to their old games or don't bother. In anycase one could still argue that the sheffield is preferable to the trapezium, as there's nothing from easily budging them at will.